Liquid container closure and dispensing means



May 21, 1963 E. LIPMAN 3090,529

LIQUID CONTAINER CLOSURE AND DISPENSING MEANS Filed March 13, 1961 j \\,A 44 willi W' :imita J/.f wie INVENTOR.

United rates Patent O Elmer Lipman, 550 Woodland Drive, South Lyon, Mich.

Filed Mar. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 95,148 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-209) This invention relates to liquid container closure and dispensing means selectably sealed for `shipping and storage and open to atmosphere for dispensing liquid.

Combination container caps and dispensing means have been employed heretofore, however, the several devices `of the prior art have not proven entirely satisfactory inasmuch as they are complicated in design and construction, expensive to manufacture, diicult to use, dii`t`1- cult to maintain in use, and not positive in seal-ably closing the container for shipping and storing.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is to provide a container cap and dispensing means which is simple in design and construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, easy to remove, and which is positive in sealing off the container during periods lof shipping and storage.

An object of the invention is to provide separate liquid supply stern means and separate cap dispensing means which normally intercommunicate automatically when mounted on a container and which are automatically disconnected and sealed when-a sealing disc is disposed between them.

An object of the invention is -to provide a cap having liquid `atomizing or pump means for dispensing liquid from the container.

An object of the invention is to provide `stem means insertable in the container normally `automatically communicating with the dispensing means of `the cap for supplying liquid from the container to the cap dispensing means.

An object of the invention is to provide a spring pressed hollow plunger in the stern portion adapted to press 'against a cap aperture in sealing relationship thereto for communicating liquid to the cap.

An object of the invention is to provide a removable sealing disc between the cap and stem portion for positively sealing the container during periods of shipping and storage.

These and other objects of the invention will become lapparent by reference 'to the following description of a container cap and selectably scalable dispensing means embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. l is a vertical cross-sectional view 'of a container having the dispensing cap and communicating stem showing the positive sealing disc in position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. l showing the sealing disc removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the device seen in FIG. 2 taken on the line 3 3 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing different dispensing or pump means.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the dispenser cap, communicating stem, and positive closure disclosed therein .to illustrate the invention comprises a cap l disposed on a container 11 communieating to the liquid content thereof through a hollow stem assembly 12 leading to a cap aperture l13 which leads to a dispensing opening 14. In FIG. 1, this communication is interrupted by a positive sealing disc 15. FIGS. 2 and 3 show communication between the stem and cap as permitted by removal of the disc 15.

lMore particularly, the cap 10 comprises a body 20y having a bottom socket portion 21 equipped with internal ICC threads 22 for threading on a container neck 23 and a wall 24 overlying a container neck top 25. The cap 10 also has a top cavity :above the wall 24 including a transverse bore 26 housing an insert 27 which is equipped with an annular flange 28 at its inner end sealing with the bore 26. The insert 27 also has an annular flange 29 at the outer end sealing with the bore 26. This creates a chamber -30 radially between the bore 26 and the insert 27 and axially between the flanges 28 and 29. The insert has a transverse aperture 31 communicating to the chamber 30 which is in communication with the cap axial aperture 13; the top cavity is surmounted by a depress-able bulb 32 so that upon manually depressing the bulb, air travels ou-twardly from the top cavity through the insert 27 past the insert aperture 31 creates a low pressure condition so as to draw air and liquid from the chamber *301 and from the aperture 13.

The stem assembly 12 includes a socket 40 surmounted by Ian annular flange 42 resting on the container neck top 25 and effects a positive seal between the cap wall 24 and the bottle neck top .25. A spring 43v is disposed in the socket 40 and a hollow plunger 44 rests on the spring and is urged upwardly thereby into scalable contact with the cap wall 24 and it is to be noted that the plunger 44 has an axial aperture 45 in communication with the cap wall aperture '13 and that the plunger aperture 45 acts as a continuation of the hollow tubes 46 and 47 which lead to the liquid yin the bottom of the cont-aimer -11.

l During periods :of shipping and-storage the sealing disc 15 is disposed between the cap wall 24 and the annular flange 42 so -as to prevent communication between the tube assembly `1,2 :and the cap aperture 113. Due .to the fact that both the annular ilange 42 and the sealing disc 15 are made :of sealing material, such as polyethene, a positive seal exists between the cap and the container top 25.

During periods of shipping and storage the sealing disc remains in place and upon the customer desiring to use the contents of the bottle, he opens the device by removing the cap 10 and extracts the sealing disc 115 therefrom so that upon replacing rthe cap 10 the spring 43 urges the plunger 44 upwardly into sealing relationship with the cap wall 24 as seen in FIG. 2 thereby establishing communication between the liquid in the bottom of the container 111 Iand the dispensing aperture 14.

When the user then depreses the bulb 32, air is expelled through the insert 14 past the insert orifice 31 which draws liquid lfrom the bottle through the orice 31, chamber 30, cap :aperture 13, plunger aperture 45, and the tubes 46-47 as the air rushing past the insert aperture 31 lowers the pressure in the chamber 30 thereby drawing liquid upwardly and when the liquid passes through the aperture 31 it is combined with the air rushing therethrough and is dispensed as a spray.

FIG. 4 shows another type of 'atomizing or liquid dispensing :apparatus :and may be combined with the stem assembly and sealing disc Iand .it is obvious that the device may be modi-fied with the spring pressed plunger integrated in the cap so as to press down against an aperture in the ilange 42, however with the device as integrated, the cap can be positioned at a low level because the length of the socket 40 is absorbed by being disposed in the container neck 23. v

The inventive device with these features constitutes a compact, durable, and neat appearing mechanism easily operated to seal a container for shipping `and storage and easily conditioned for use by simply removing the sealing disc from its interrupting position between the stern assembly :and -the cap 10. With the invention the manufacturer saves the cost :of individual sealing and dispensing caps and the cost of special boxes and cartons which were heretofore required.

Although but a singlev embodiment with one modiiicaltion has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made .in `the size, shape, detail, and arrangement of the various elements of the invention within .the scope of the appended claim.

Container closure and liquid dispensing apparatus for kselectably sealably closing la container during shipping and storage to prevent leaking and evaporation and for selectably permitting container communication to atmosphere to permit liquid-'dispensing during use comprising :a cap .demountably mountable on :a `container neck having a Wall `exerting sealing force towards .a conta-inervneck top; said cap having an aXi-al aperture through said wall; dispensing means on said cap communicating with said cap aperture, a hollow stem disposable in `a container neck opening having -a bottom'liquid conducting portion for leading to a .container bottom anda top socket'portion surrounded by van annular flange for lresting on Vthe top of a container neck as a support element for said stemiand as a sealing element between said cap wall and 'a container neck top, a spring disposed in said socket, an axially hollow plunger disposed in'said socket'restingl on said spring and urged i remounting said cap on a container automatically conditioning itself for use with said spring urging said plunger into sealing relationship with said cap and said stem flange sealing between said cap and a container neck top; said dispensing means including said cap having a hollow transverse bore above said Wall; a hollow tubular insert in said bore having outer and inner fanges sealing -with said bore land a reduced intermediate portion between said flanges spaced from said bore creating a chamber therebetween, and a transverse aperture in said insert adjacent said outer ilange communicating between said chamber fand the hollow interior of said insert; said cap wall axial aperture communicating with a `container as stated and also leading to said chamber intermediate said insert flanges; said cap body having a top cavity; :a depressable ybulb on said cap over said top cavity; said top cavity communicating through said hollow insert to atmosphere; manual depressing of said bulb expelling the air in said top cavity through said hollow insert venturi wise past said insert transverse aperture leading to said chamber to draw liquid from a container via said chamber, `said wall aperture, and said liquid conducting means to expel combined air and liquid in Ia spray from said insert.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

